Youth from Maharashtra arrested for molesting women riding two-wheelers

Navi Mumbai: Rabale police have arrested a youth residing in a slum pocket in Kalwa (E), Thane, on the fringes of the Airoli MIDC area for molesting young women on moving scooters in Airoli node. After two victim women lodged police complaints against the molester on May 27, the detection branch team of Rabale police tracked him from CCTV camera surveillance on the street, and within 12 hours he was apprehended from the slum pocket where he resides.

API Avinash Palde of Rabale detection branch said the arrested accused has been identified as Krishna Kanojia. On May 27, a complaint was lodged by a 22-year-old woman alleging that on May 26 evening, she was riding her scooter and was going to her friend's house in Airoli. Around 4.30 pm, as she reached the rear gate of Celebration Society in Sector 6, Airoli, the youth riding a scooter, who was stalking her, came from behind and suddenly grabbed her lower back, by which she felt offended. As she raised an alarm, the youth sped away. She claimed that she did not lodge a police complaint immediately as she was scared, and after she informed her parents about the incident, they accompanied her to the police station and registered an FIR under BNS sections for the offence of stalking and criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty.

Palde said, "On May 27, another woman from Airoli lodged a similar complaint against the accused riding a scooter and targeting her in the Airoli area. Hence, another FIR under similar BNS sections was registered against the accused. Taking serious note of the repeat incidents, a special team was formed to trace the accused youth. After arresting Kanojia, he confessed that he targeted multiple women on moving scooters. On May 29, Kanojia was produced before the Belapur district sessions court, which remanded him to police custody for two days till Sunday."